1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Any action that causes undue suffering to an animal and produces no medical or useful social benefit could be considered as animal cruelty. This said it then becomes incumbent to determine what is is "undue" suffering or a "useful" social benefit, and that can be very controversial. Each action has to be evaluated in the society in which it occurs and then determined based upon that societies values.

Undue suffering to some people means any sort of captivity of an animal at all, others consider it to mean torturing or inflicting needless pain. There are children that practice karate chops on dogs, almost everybody would consider that action to be animal cruelty, but is keeping a chicken in an air conditioned house with unlimited food and water, plus other chickens for companionship making the bird suffer? Ironically enough if the birds are freed and given the choice, most will go and live in the house! In the house, they will also be fatter and have less parasites and disease problems. The same is true for most animals, they only roam looking for food, water and companionship.

Medical benefits are easy to define and a proper medical research facility takes excellent care or the animals, and their research cannot in most cases be done without the animals. It would be cheaper and easier without animals, but violate safety factors. But what about animals that are kept and used for other purposes that medicine and food? This includes racing animals, fighting animals and pets!

Horses and donkeys like to run. In the wild, equines will frolic and play, often racing for over a mile apparently just because they like it. The same is true for dogs. So is a trainer of racing animals being cruel by encouraging an animal to play and promote the natural tendencies? Is it a cruel action?

Fighting of animals for sport is definitely a cruel action. Animals in the wild rarely fight, mainly for mates or when food is scarce, they also rarely fight to the death. Generally it is a brief scuffle and then one either submits or runs away. The animals also will not kill the younger animals in most cases, that is cruelty taught by man. Does it have asocial value? Not to me.

Are keeping pets cruel? It depends upon the owner and if they are taking proper care of the animal. Do you clean and feed the animal, or is it just a status symbol that spends most of the day locked up with no food or room to move? Some people beat their pets for fun, and that is a cruel action, but some do it for training and to make the pet safer!

Animal cruelty is a complex subject and each action needs to be evaluated in context.

Learn more about this author, James Johnson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Actions that would be considered as animal cruelty?
We want to hear your view. Write now!